Fabric envelope covered metal shank for shoes



Aug. l, 1933. H. H. RoosA FABRIC ENVELOPE COVERED METAL SHANK FOR SHOES Filed Dec. 16. 1951 `lyaratentecl Aug. 1, y 1933 L 'l Herbert H. Roos'a,Rochester, N. Y.` @HI- Application, December 1 My invention relates to an improvement in shoemanufacturing, and more particularly toan improvement in :the shank portion. of the shoe, and in the method of securing the shank in place, par. ticularly in cement constructed shoes. l '1 An `object of my invention is'to provide an economical and practical meansA of (securely attaching 'metal shanks to shoes, between the inner soles and outer soles thereof. t

A further object is toprovidethe metal shank with a suitable fabricv covering or envelope which. is cemented to and around the metal shank by Y a suitable adhesive cement,preferably a nitro-` cellulose cement vandin also vproviding excess fabric ends beyond the metal shank ends, which fabric rends make a firm cemented jointV wit-hthebody of .the'insoleand the outsole.' f A further object is to permanentlyvsecure the fabric'covered metal shank in place to theouter sole Aand to the insole, so that bothou'ter and inner soles are permanently united'by means of the fabric covering, and-accordingly donot separater during the life of the shoe atithe'.`surfaces.of` union Withnthe fabric covered metalshank. 4 y

A further object is to provide a shoe in which the fabric covered metal `shank is practicallyy integrally united with both inner and outer soles, thereby preventing` squeakingduringl wear and also preventing the metal shank from cutting A further object is to provide a shoe in which the fabric covered metal shank having its outer 4surfaces coatedwith cement is secured to the `inner sole'and to the outer sole by the cement, thus providing 'a solidbond from edge to edge under the arch or shank of the shoe outsolevso that `during the wear, of the shoe the outer sole does not separatefrom the body of the shoe at the shank portion.

A further object is to provide an increaseti area of contact cementedsurface, thus forming a complete bond from edge to edgeon thecement- Yed surfaces of the shoe bottom at the shank portion thereof, and the surface of fabric covered metal shank, and outsole ofthe shoe, Which bond permanently remains intact during' Wear.

A further object is to-provide `a shoe in which the outer and inner soles are so firmly cemented around the fabric covered or enveloped metal :shank that all tendency for the metal shank to shift is prevented, thereby avoiding friction and destructive wear upon the inner and outer soles.

In the accompanyingdrawing,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a cement constructe shoe, partly broken away, showing the shank covering. f f

tweenthe inner'i'and outer soles;

Fig. 2 is an emarged longitudineiseetimmlA vjiew of a metal shank "provided, withfa`fabriccover-v` I Y ing envelope," thecovering `being`4cerner1ted Cli-` rectly upon' and around. the; ,metal v shank, and p also showing extending end s of the fabriccover-I ing whichae cemented together, thereby completely'e'nclosingl-the metaljshanklinthe fabric Figs.v 3 and-v spectively,of one type of `fabric-,covering or envelope, shownfas vafabrictube, within Whichfthe metal shank isinsertedfand cemented;

Fig. 5'is a plan viewgpartly broken,ofa M shank "provided Vvwith a suitable fabric covering,

theiabric covering orenvelope being shown as f shank and cemented Wrapped around l. `the thereto;

Fig. 6 illustrates vdiagrammatically a `view v 01V la rear-portion of `a shoe insole having an 'inseam channelthereon to which the lshoe'fu'pper is to b'eattlachedbylmeans of `an inseamyand showing A .the outer` edges .of a shank piece attached to the* reverse sideA of `the channelled insole by means of a suitable cement, and also showing the fabric covered"` metal shank indotted lines secured in place between the channelledinsole and the attached shank piece. The method of securing the through either the inner o r outer sole., i

fabric covered metal shank as herein illustrated 4 are section'and -plan views: re

Ametal f fabric covered metal shanks in turn shoeconV struction.

""In the various methods used inV the manufacture of shoes in which metal shanksareer'nf,

ployed, the metal Shanks are placedrbetween insoles and voutsoles at the shank portions of the shoes, or between the shank piece'and the 'outsole, orbetween theshank piece and the insole. The metal shank is usually secured to the insoles or to the shank pieces by tacks,'riv`ets, staples, or`other metal fastening means.l Inuse,` these fastening devices rust, `and break from theinsole or shank piece, thereby causing the metal shank to become loose, and allowing .the metal 'shank to cut through the outsole, or throughthe insole,

Athereby rendering such shoe practically useless.

Metal shankshave been directlymcemented be-v tween the layers of the. solepof the shoe ince` ment constructed shoes, but the cement does not` permanently adhere to the metal surface, and in use, thelayer's of the sole separate Vfrom theV metal shank, and continued Walking ldevelops a flexing action at the shank portion which loosens the outsole Yfrom the shoeV between .the ball and the breast of the shoe heel. v

In the present invention, the metal shank 1,

is suitably covered With a fabric 2, whichy fabric may consist of a tubeB, in which the shank is placed, or a suitable strip* of fabric for example, a

ribbon or fiat tape or cord 4 wrapped around the same. The metal surfaces of the shank are first coated with a cement, preferably a nitrocellulose cement 10, and thereafter the fabric covering is` applied either by inserting the metal shank into the braided or Woven tube 3 shown'A in Fig. 4, or

the shankmay be Wrapped or enveloped With the fabric strip 4 as shown in Fig. 5.' While a1cover` Ving made of fabric is preferred, the covering may` be made of thin leather or other soft porous material which will be impregnated with cement.

' point on,'the usual process of manufacture of. vrshoes isfollowed according to the particular type After the shank is properly covered, thel outer surfaces .of the covering are .coated Withla Vsuiiig cientquantity of cement 11, and the ends Grof the fabric are closed or pinched together as shown.

at 7 in Fig. 2. The shank is now completely sealed' in the fabric covering and thereby rendered rustproof. Any suitabletypefof cement may be used,

for example, nitrocellulose, rrubber cement, or other suitable adhesive, preferably; nitrocellulose cement. The fabric coveredor enveloped shank is now coated all over with a cement 1l, and that por.-` tion' 8 of the shoe insole or shank piece 9 is also l coated withthe cement on its surface at which the fabric covered shank is to be positioned. The. cement coated. fabric covered metal shank isv immediately placed upon the cement coated pore, tion of the insole or shank piece 9k ofthe shoe,

and -is temporarily held in place by a ltack;` or

tacks, which tacks are later removed when the cement has become sufficiently dry. From .this

of shoe construction method employed. *Thecomf pleted shoe Yhas theY fabric covered-,or envelopedv metal shank permanently'and immovably secured in place, and a permanent bond is effected be. tween the fabric covering of` the metal shank and the adjacent surfaces in contact therewith. During the normal life of the shoe the several layers of insole 9, shoe .upper lining 14:, counter 13, shoe upper 15, and outsole 12, are permanently bonded together because of the integral union of the lshank piece or inner sole, or shank piece e and outer sole to the .fabric covering surrounding the metal shank. r 1 v 1 Thel method n. described'herein of covering or enveloping metal shanks for shoes with a fabric covering or envelope is applicable to any style, shape, or size, of metal Shanks used in the construction of footwear, and is not limited in its applicatiorisolely to the particular type of shoe, `or shape of metal shank, illustrated. herewith. In the claims-,rtheivord fabric is used to define any soft flexible porous material which may be impregnatedvfith the cement, and form a per- `manent bond between the enclosed metal shank icsy 2. A metalshankstiffener for shoes.,l including l ,an` elongated` body, and .a .flattened tube having continuousseamless WallsV of Woven fabric and provided with a longitudinal opening` receivingrv y the elongatedjbody and completely covering the, same, the ends of-.the tube being extended beyond l theendsof the body to form attaching portions and the said tube being impregnated with cement and the extended ends being collapsed and closing the endsof the longitudinal opening and sealingthe body within'the same.v -1 Y y HERBERT H. RoosA;v 

